Ben Montpeit

Position
University

I am an associate professor of biological sciences at the University of California, Davis in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. I obtained a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of British Columbia (2007) and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of British Columbia (2007-2008) and University of California, Berkeley (2008-2012). The research conducted by my group involves studying the genetics and cell biology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. As a principal investigator, I work to identify, recruit, and mentor graduate trainees who will become the future of our national and international scientific workforce. As a member of both graduate education and admissions committees, I work to develop and promote best practices in graduate admissions and mentorship to ensure those trainees are selected in an equitable way and well supported. This requires changing longstanding admissions practices, reducing inequities related to funding, encouraging participation of historically underrepresented populations, and training faculty mentors. I believe these efforts will ultimately result in a more dynamic, innovative, resilient, and productive STEM community that will benefit society.